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PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS EMIR OF GUMEL, ALHAJI DR. AHMED MUHAMMAD SANI II, HAILS 46 YEARS OF VISIONARY REIGN
PRESIDENT TINUBU MOURNS EMIR OF President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received with profound sadness the news of the passing of the Emir of Gumel, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Dr Ahmed Muhammad Sani II, CON, who died on Thursday, September 3, 2026, in Cairo, Egypt.
President Tinubu extends his deepest condolences to the immediate family of the revered monarch, the Gumel Emirate Council, the Government and people of Jigawa State, and the entire traditional institution in Nigeria.
The President describes the transition of the Emir as the end of a remarkable and historic era. Having ascended the throne on December 16, 1980, Alhaji Sani II reigned for nearly 46 years as the 16th Emir of Gumel, standing out as one of Nigeria’s longest-serving and most respected first-class traditional rulers.
President Tinubu celebrates the life of a distinguished scholar, administrator and statesman whose contributions transcended the palace walls.
Before his ascension, the late Emir had a stellar career in public service. He served with the Gumel Native Authority, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and as a senior official at Kazaure Divisional Office.
Between 1978 and 1980, he served as Commissioner for Information, Internal Affairs and Culture in the old Kano State, where he left an enduring legacy of spearheading the establishment of the Triumph Newspaper, CTV 67 (now ARTV), and supervising the expansion of Radio Kano. Those institutions remain pillars of public information in Northern Nigeria today.
President Tinubu remarks:
“As Emir, Alhaji Sani II transformed Gumel into a model of peace and development.
“He was a father to all, a beacon of wisdom, and a custodian of culture who devoted his long reign to promoting education, Islamic scholarship, unity among diverse communities, and the preservation of the rich heritage of one of the oldest Emirates in Northern Nigeria.
“In the state of Jigawa, his calm, conservative and inclusive leadership provided stability through decades of political and security transitions. He was an unfailing partner for peace-building and community development, always placing the welfare of his people above all else.”
“Nigeria has lost a towering traditional leader whose wise counsel will be sorely missed at a time when the nation continues to draw on the moral authority of traditional institutions to strengthen national cohesion.
“I pray that Almighty Allah will forgive the shortcomings of the late Emir, accept his noble deeds, and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus.
“I also pray that Allah will grant the royal family, the Gumel Emirate and the people of Jigawa State the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.”
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
September 3, 2026
CLARIFICATION ON THE ONGOING FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT CASE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Presidency has noted recent speculative reports concerning an ongoing Freedom of Information Act case before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
For clarity, the matter is a civil records-disclosure dispute under the United States Freedom of Information Act. It is not a criminal case against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nor has the court found him guilty of any criminal wrongdoing.
Here is the background to the case, which comes 23 years after the American Consulate in Lagos, in a letter dated February 4, 2003, informed the then Inspector General of Police, Mr Tafa Balogun, that an FBI records check found no criminal arrest records, wants, or warrants for then Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In 2022, Mr Aaron Greenspan, who is known to work with Nigerian opposition figures including David Hundeyin and Atiku Abubakar, submitted FOIA requests to several United States government agencies seeking records relating to President Tinubu. After the agencies withheld certain records or declined to confirm or deny their existence, Mr Greenspan commenced Civil Action No. 23-1816 before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2023.
The court subsequently permitted President Tinubu to participate in the proceedings as an intervenor.
During the proceedings, the Defendants asserted the “Glomar defence”, a standard defence that US law enforcement agencies invoke from time to time. It simply means the government agency is not “in a position to deny or admit” the existence of an investigation. It protects government personnel and the techniques and sources law enforcement agencies use to investigate and prosecute crimes.
Based on the invocation of this defence, the United States District Court granted summary judgment in favour of the CIA, EOUSA, Department of State, Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It ruled that they be removed from the proceedings, leaving aspects of the claims involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration for further consideration.
In compliance with the court’s orders, the FBI and DEA produced 399 pages of records, with portions redacted under exemptions provided by United States law. The Plaintiff challenged the FBI and DEA’s decisions to redact portions of the documents produced.
The FBI and DEA, through the United States Department of Justice (USDoJ), pushed back against the Plaintiff’s requests. The FBI and DEA rejected the application to produce the documents without redactions for the following reasons:
- Some of the documents are protected from being revealed to the public by law, for example, Grand Jury proceedings. The law exempts transcripts of Grand Jury proceedings from public disclosure. The Pen Register Act also protects from disclosure information about certain court order(s) authorising or approving the installation and use of a pen register or trap and trace device. (FOIA Exemption 3)
- Some of the documents fall squarely within the attorney-work product and attorney-client privileges. Some documents contain instances where FBI and DEA agents sought and/or received legal advice from USDoJ attorneys. (FOIA Exemption 5)
- Some of the documents were prepared for law enforcement purposes. (FOIA Exemption 5)
- Some of the documents contain information which, if revealed, could lead to an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. (FOIA Exemptions 6 and 7(C)).
- Some of the documents, if disclosed, will reveal the identities of confidential sources or compromise the techniques that law enforcement agencies use in investigating crimes. (FOIA Exemptions 7(D) and 7(E))
President Bola Tinubu, on advice of his lawyers, has also asserted his rights as guaranteed by FOIA Exemption 7(C).
The Plaintiff has until September 11, 2026, to file any opposition and reply to the Defendants’ and Intervener’s processes, while the FBI, DEA and the Intervenor have until September 18, 2026, to respond to the processes that the Plaintiff might have filed.
The release or withholding of records under FOIA does not, by itself, establish criminal liability. The case concerns access to government records and the proper application of statutory exemptions.
The Nigerian media should note that this case is exclusively within the control of Judge Beryl A. Howell of the United States District Court. She will determine its outcome, based on the evidence, applicable law, and the parties’ arguments, not the wishful preference of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar or his agent, Mr Von Batten.
Recent public commentary by Mr Karl von Batten has inaccurately portrayed him and his client as central to the proceedings. Neither is a party to the case.
The litigation is a civil records-disclosure dispute under FOIA. It does not constitute a criminal charge, trial, or judicial finding against President Tinubu. The FBI and DEA have produced records with redactions, and the remaining question is whether those redactions are lawful.
The United States District Court will decide that issue based on the filings and applicable US law, not political commentary.
The Presidency therefore urges the media and the public to distinguish verified court proceedings from partisan speculation.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
September 3, 2026
